Australian Open Men’s QF Preview

There are only eight players left in the Australian Open Men’s singles tournament. With the absence of Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic 2017 could be the year for a underdog to take out the Australian Open. Milos Raonic (ATP Rank #3) is yet to win a Grand Slam title and this year’s Australian Open will be his best opportunity. A rejuvinated Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are the only two players standing in his way. At the back end of major Grand Slams the experienced players tend to absorb the pressure the best and find a way to progress. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have plenty of experience and still pose major threats, even at 35 and 30 years of age respectively.

Chase The Ace Player Recommendation: Milos Raonic

Tips for Quarter-Finals:

Stan Wawrinka V Jo Wilfred Tsonga:

Stan Wawrinka and Jo Wilfred Tsonga have battled against each other on 7 occasions, with the frenchman victorious on three occasions. Wawrinka has won all three of their Grand Slam meetings, all being on clay. The pair haven’t met on a hard court in over 10 years so history won’t help much here. The surface of the Australian Open will benefit the Frenchman, who has been holding serve at 91.0% compared to Wawrinka’s 85.3% in the last 12 months. It will be a tough match to predict, instead focus on the ace count. Jo Wilfred Tsonga has hit 75 aces so far this tournament, the third most of any player whereas Wawrinka has only accumulated 65. Tsonga’s serve is a major weapon and he’ll need it to be on point if he stands any chance of beating Stan.

Not many people would have predicted Mischa Zverev to make it to the quarter final of this year’s Australian Open. His form has been impeccable, in his previous meeting against Andy Murray i mentioned his ability to accumulate 6+ games per set. Zverev has been competitive in every set played in the tournament and i don’t see this changing against Roger. Federer will have bragging rights, having won both of their previous encounters but Zverev will have nothing to lose. I’d expect Zverev to get under Roger’s skin but in the end the experience of Roger Federer should prevail.

Mischa Zverev has played a total of 16 sets so far in the Australian Open. He has been extremely competitive and consistent in each of his sets. He has scored 6+ games in 14 out of a possible 16 sets, even against quality opposition such as Andy Murray.

David Goffin V Grigor Dimitrov:

Grigor Dimitrov will walk into the Quarter Final of this year’s Australian Open with great confidence. The Bulgarian has played Goffin on 4 occasions, claiming all four with ease. Dimitrov is yet to lose a match this season (9-0), having beaten three Top 10 players on his way to claiming the Brisbane International earlier this month. David Goffin will be searching to be the first Belgian tennis player to make it to the Semi-Finals of the Australian Open. Although Goffin (ATP Rank 11) is ranked higher than Dimitrov (ATP Rank 15) the recent form of the Bulgarian will see him start favourite in this encounter. I’m expecting this match to be a long one, neither will be able to win in straight sets. Over 3.5 sets is a must.

I’ve been waiting all tournament to see Milos Raonic come up against a quality player such as Rafael Nadal. Milos Raonic is the highest ranked player left in the men’s singles tournament. At 26 years of age, he is ready to explode onto the big stage and claim his first Grand Slam title. He plays with great discipline and rarely shows any sign of emotion. He will take great confidence into this match after coming back from one set and one break down to defeat Nadal in the Brisbane International earlier this month. The Raonic serve is a major weapon and it will need to be quite accurate for him to shrug off the persistent spaniard. I’ve continually mentioned how important experience is in the later stages of major tournaments. Raonic has enough experience now, but more importantly he possesses the hunger to claim a major title. I’d recommend using CrownBet’s promotion and backing Milos to win, for the added security. Upset Alert!